A Near Miss Awards Issue

2006·4 MB·English

by  Ed. Jonathan Barker

A
Near Miss
Awards Issue 2006
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/nearmissawardsis2006edjo
A
Near Miss
Awards Issue
2006
University ofSouth Carolina Upstate
Vol. 6 Spring 2006 No. 1
Preface
For the sixth year, The University of South Carolina Up-
A
state proudly presents the efforts ofarea high school students in
NearMiss. Each entry selected underwent rigorous scrutiny. The
poetry, visual art, and fiction found within these pages displays
some ofthe finest local talent ofthe Greenville-Spartanburg area.
Congratulations to thestudentswho arefeaturedinthiseditionand
congratulations to their teachers whose hard work, dedication and
enthusiasm have inspired them.
Jonathan Barker
Editor
ii A NearMiss
Acknowledgements
Thepublication ofylNearMissinvolves theeffortsofmanyorgani-
zations and people who lend their energy, skill, and enthusiasm for the arts
to this project. Thanks are due to:
IndexxPrintingSolutions
CEO
Jordan Finn,
SherryJenkins, Sales
Vicki Riggins, Customer Service Rep
The University ofSouth Carolina Upstate
Dr. ReginaldAvery, Vice Chancellor ofAcademicAffairs
Dr. York Bradshaw, Dean ofthe College ofArts and Sciences
Dr. Richard Predmore, Chair, Languages, Literature and Composition
Ms. Carla Owings, AdministrativeAssistant
Mr. Les Davis, StudentAssistant
Ms. April Lee, StudentAssistant
Ms. Charmaine Hazekamp, Printing Services
And a final thanks is due to Mr. Mitchell S. Easter, who assisted
in judging the entries this year.
ANearMiss Hi
iv A NearMiss
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Prizewinners 2005
SpecialAwardforCoverArt:
EliseLyles
SpartanburgHighSchool
Cynthia Goforth
Katie Collins 2 HeatherTroutman 21
Jenna Lyles 7 Lyn Radke 22
Max Cobb 9 Logan Harrell 23
SarahTennant 16 Cameron Rotton 24
Michael Smith 17 Ann Crosby 26
Megan Owens 18 PaKouLy 27
Martin Sanchez 19 Brenda Diaz 28
Markie Caddis 20
Poetry, Fiction, Art, 2005
Megan Owens 30 RobynRode 45
RichLyda 31 Harrison Williams 46
Pamela Brown 32 Sabelyn Thorpe 47
MicahTaylor 33 Latasha Boyd 48
Kendal Lisk 33 Sarah Carnick 49
Samantha Brown 34 Ann Kennedy 50
Amber GafFney 35 Anna Le 50
Katie Collins 36 Leland HoUowell 51
JoshTurner 37 Chase Fowler 53
Emilie Rossett 37 SarahTennat 54
Shakara Shuford 38 Jamal Otijele 56
TimJames 39 AbbeyWells 57
ClaireAtkins 39 Ha Nguyen 58
KaylaMurfF. 40 Elaine Koutroulias 59
Janene Rawley 41 Brian Fitzsimmons 60
Rachael Gallman 42 KirbyTate 61
Geoffrey Billetter 42 Addie Bunn 62
ChrisAllen 43 Alison Monahan 63
TinaBu 44 Carole Garrison 64
ANearMiss v
Brandon Harris 65 KelvinTurner 94
Jonathan Thompson 65 Caroline Roper 94
Emily Clark 66 Clint Drake 95
PamAngelakis 67 Caroline Monaghan 96
Beth Bennett 68 KristinaAustin 97
JakeAdams 68 KatyPletcher 98
Mary Murphy 69 AlexWetherill 99
Jessica Hill 70 Ross Brady 100
Shane Goode 71
JessicaWigington 72
Alicia Smith 73
CanaanWhiteneck 74
Barry Burgess 75
Patrick Brennan 76
GaryMoore 77
JayAult 77
Myriah Reed 78
AnnaKate Rawles 79
Ciera Martinez 80
Candace Edwards 81
Katie Durham 82
Campbell Price 83
Mindy Former 83
Rachael Olson 84
Wesley Long 84
Kendyl Mattson 85
Jacob Reeves 86
Ashlee Wagner 87
Sarah Klein 87
Michelle Flemming 88
Paige Poplin 88
Elizabeth Epperly 89
Michael Smith 90
Anna Chandler 91
Laura Merritt 92
Logan Harrell 93
vi A NearMiss
The Winners
Prize
2006
First Place Fiction
Rain
Indumati closed hereyes andwislied the rain away. Ithad rolled in
nine days ago, the turbulent water ofLake Charles reflected in the boiling,
burstingcloudsabove.Thewindhadprecededtherain, dancingawildtango
with the tree branches, swirling the power lines like girls playing Double
Dutch.
Indumati had been asleep when the first drops fell, trailing down
thewindowabove her bed, casting astrange patternwith the vague light of
morningon herface. Shehadawoken slowly, pulled fromherdreamsbythe
perpetual plop ofthe raindrops on the roofabove her. Asweetsmile graced
herlipsasshe recalledthedreamshehadjustdepartedfrom.Adarklyhand-
some man had metherupon afieldofsunflowers,whiskingherawayon his
chestnut horse from the life she had known, and carrying her on toward a
perfectdestiny.As Indumatiseyesopened, thesmilefadedfromherlips; she
was thrustbackinto harsh reality. Therewas no loverupon achestnuthorse,
come tosaveherfromherfate, onlyherweddingsaristandinginthecorner,
waiting to be donned.
IndumatisfamilyhademigratedfromIndiaalmosttenyearsago. She
couldstillvividlyrecall hergrandparents' reactionswhenherfatherhad told
them theywere going to America. Her grandmother had nearly leapt from
herchairwithjoyandhergrandfather'sfacehadluminosityinitthatradiated
throughout the entire room. For as long as Indumati could remember, her
grandparentshadbeenencouragingthefamilytoleaveIndia,togotoAmerica
whereopportunitybeckoned. Theythemselveswould notleave; theirelderly
bodieswereplantedfirmlyinIndiansoil,butthestoriesandrumorsofAmerica
had reached even theirwrinkledears and theydesired nothing more than to
departfrom theearthknowingthattheirdescendantshadcreatedanamefor
themselves in the land offreedom. Indumati herselfwas thrilled. Because of
their traditional Indian background, Indumati's parents enforcedstrict rules
and requirements on their children. She hoped the move toAmericawould
lighten her parents' heavy hand and thrust them into the modern world.
However, during the first few months oflife in America, Indumati's hopes
withered away. Ifanything, herparentshadonlybecomeharder, moreset in
their ways, and more intent on maintaining a conservative Indian life. The
partthatstruckIndumaticlosesttoheartwasthattheyinsistedonanarranged
marriage for their daughter. Therewas to be no courtship, no meeting, just
marriage to a man ofher parents' choosing. She could remember distinctly
2 A NearMiss